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A new voice for the NDP

The New Democratic Party elected Thomas Mulcair as its new leader, signaling a potential shift in the party's longstanding left-leaning political
stance. Marvin Ryder, assistant professor at the DeGroote School of Business, tells BNN that the NDP under Mulcair's leadership may attempt to expand
its political base and focus on becoming a truly national party.

"Today NDP only have three seats in Ontario and British Columbia so it's hard to view this as a national party just yet, so Mulcair needs to appeal to
the popular middle," he tells BNN. "Mulcair represents the new style of the NDP that wants to be more in the middle."

Ryder says recent labour issues at Air Canada (AC.B-T) highlight a potential for a new direction for the NDP. On Friday, ground workers were issued back to work by an arbitrator after they staged a wildcat strike.

"In the past, NDP would have said 'this is wrong and any subversion of the collective bargaining process is wrong,'" he says. "I suspect what Mulcair
would say is the 'we agree that it shouldn't be subverted unless there is a greater public interest.'"